Steelers Now
Zak Keefer of The Athletic believes there’s been a strong shift in leverage between Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The 2025 NFL Draft has come and gone and the Pittsburgh Steelers still don’t have a decision from free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers. They didn’t do much to put pressure on him, either, only using a sixth-round pick on Ohio State quarterback Will Howard.
That’s why Zak Keefer of The Athletic believes the Steelers have lost all of their leverage with Rodgers.
“They need him. Badly,” ,” Keefer writes. “At this point, it seems like Aaron Rodgers is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ only viable option at quarterback, unless a playoff team from a year ago is willing to rest its season on the shoulders of Mason Rudolph. Pittsburgh’s selection of Ohio State’s Will Howard in the sixth round Saturday did nothing to change this.”
Howard is joining Pittsburgh’s very underwhelming quarterback room, which also includes Rudolph and Skylar Thompson, but Rodgers’ options have all but run out as well.
The Minnesota Vikings traded for quarterback Sam Howell during the draft and the Cleveland Browns drafted two quarterbacks in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
Rodgers has looked far from his four-time NFL MVP self, too. In 2024, he threw for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while leading the New York Jets to a very disappointing 5-12 finish.
“Does Rodgers save them? Probably not. He’s 40. He has regressed since rupturing his Achilles. Does he elevate them? Yes,” Keefer writes. “Rodgers did play better down the stretch with the Jets last season, and Pittsburgh is stout on defense. He wouldn’t have to be the savior in the Steel City, but rather a cog in a well-run operation.”
The Steelers have reportedly maintained dialogue with Rodgers, but with no timeline set, it remains to be seen when this saga will finally end.
“It sounds like Rodgers will land in Pittsburgh at some point,” Keefer writes. “But they lost leverage.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Have Steelers Lost All Leverage with Aaron Rodgers?
